Mid-Day

A small black device thrown onto the field exploded very close to Sepahan midfielder Adel Kolahkaj near the corner flag. The explosion rattled the player, who could easily have lost a limb had he been any closer to the object.

Smoke emanated from the object even as players and referees ran away from the scene. The object was later reported to have been either a firecracker or mini grenade. And though it caused no damage, reports claimed it could have been dangerous had it exploded moments earlier. 

Smoke emanates from an object thrown on the field during an AFC match in Iran. Pic courtesy: sky.com